On Misery And Company
by MiladyGirl
Summary: When everything that can go wrong goes wrong… it can end up being a wonderful thing. Blake/JJ femslash.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

I was aiming to write a fairly forward femslash fic. (see what I did there?) Apparently my desire for hurt/comfort got in the way of the juicy smut I planned, so it took the turn down towards caretaking road instead. And it's not meant to be played too seriously either.

Um, in this universe JJ never followed Will when he walked away, and hence there was no marriage and no kid. I didn't feel like doing the whole "breaking up a family" thing just because I wanted to get these two together. As for Blake, she's divorced here. I never liked that husband of hers anyway. ^^

This is part one, and I'll update it whenever time and muse cooperates. :)

* * *

><p>The BAU team had only just reached the hotel and tried to check in. Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple.<p>

"What do you mean, four rooms? We booked six!" Morgan said.

"I'm terribly sorry Sir, there must have been some error in the booking system. The hotel is booked to the roof the next three days. Well… there _is _one more room available, but just the one… but it's big enough for two to share…"

It was no use arguing. It had been a long day for them all, as they had been called directly from wrapping up another case.

"Alright, anyone willing to team up and share a room?" Morgan called out. None of his colleagues looked particularly eager, and he didn't blame them. Finally Blake spoke up;

"I don't care if I bunk with the Bogeyman himself, as long as I get a shower and some sleep within the next few hours."

Rossi gave her an odd stare.

"Am _I _the Bogeyman?" he wondered out lout. Blake was too tired for banter, she looked straight ahead pretending she hadn't heard him, while her overnight bag seemed to gain pound after pound on her shoulder. Her entire body was aching.

"I'll share with you, Blake," JJ said. "Can we please just get the keys, thank you?"

"Or is that Hotch?" Rossi continued to nobody in particular.

"Let it go, man," Morgan said. "The ladies just took one for the team. Thank God. I was afraid I'd end up sharing with Reid."

"Hey! Why would that be a bad thing?"

"Because you go through statistics all the time?"

"Oh. That."

"Mm. That."

* * *

><p>"Uh, Blake?" JJ put her bag down and called over her shoulder for her colleague who walked a few steps behind, eyes fixed on her cell phone.<p>

"Yes, what?"

"Do you want to take a quick trip down to the City Hall and make it official first?" JJ joked.

"Make what-Oh my God!" She dropped her overnight bag on the floor with a thud and came dangerously close to dropping her phone as well. "The _honeymoon _suite?! _Really_?!"

"Apparently so."

"Well…" Blake looked around and tried not to look at the ridiculously large and embarrassingly inviting bed that dominated the room. It seemed to taunt her, as if it knew more than well that she had been eyeing JJ with a little more interest than that of a co-worker or even friend lately.

"Is there an extra bed in here somewhere?" she asked after clearing her throat. It felt somewhat sore, as if she had been shouting.

"Meant for the third part that most honeymooners bring on their wedding night?" JJ teased. Blake could have smacked herself.

"Sorry, that was dumb. But, eh, where will I sleep?"

"Aww, you're such a gentleman, aren't you?" JJ laughed. "Just assuming I'll get the bed. I'll sleep on the floor. I can build a little nest out of covers and pillows. It'll be like a slumber party."

While she tried to sound gleeful, Blake knew she was just as tired as she was, and that JJ's effortless floor-sleeping slumber party years were in her past.

"It is big enough for both of us," she said hesitantly. While part of her wanted nothing more than sharing a bed with JJ, another part of her was terrified of just that.

"I don't mind sharing," JJ said and sat down on the side of the bed. Blake eyed her nervously. "What's wrong?"

"That's…" she gestured towards the bed and seemed awfully uncomfortable. "…my side."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, but it does."

"Okay," JJ said without pushing the issue, threw herself back and rolled over to the other side. "Oh wow, this is the comfiest bed I've ever lain on!"

Blake swallowed nervously - and winced at the pain in her throat as she did - and licked her dry lips while trying to look anywhere but at the younger woman.

"Come on, try it!" JJ said, patting the spot next to her.

"_No_. I'll go and take a shower," Blake said and abruptly turned around, dug into her bag almost blindly, grabbed a few items and disappeared into the bathroom. She all but slammed the door behind her. JJ looked up in surprise.

"Oookay…?" She frowned. "Did I say anything wrong?" She shook her head and decided to chalk it up to their general tiredness. Besides, Blake wasn't the most social person, and having to share not only a room but also a bed, probably bothered her a lot more than she wanted to admit.

* * *

><p>"You are the most obtuse person in the United States, you know that, don't you?" Blake said to her reflection in the mirror. "Also, you are talking to yourself."<p>

She shook her head in frustration and began to peel her clothes off, briefly glancing at herself in the mirror again, this time in just underwear. While she had kept fit and taken good care of herself, she was way past forty and she would never look younger again. Normally it didn't bother her, but…

"Oh what does it matter, you'll never catch her eye anyway," she told herself out loud and was surprised at how much the words stung. "And, _stop _talking to yourself," she added before dropping the remaining pieces of clothing on the floor and stepping into the shower. The hot water felt wonderful against her aching body. She wished she could stay in there forever... but of course that was another impossible thing.

* * *

><p>When she came back into the room, towelling her hair dry, JJ checked something on her phone and barely looked up.<p>

"Do you want to go downstairs and have something to eat, or order room service?" she asked casually. "I've talked to the guys and they all decided to order up food."

"Room service sounds good to me."

"Great. What would you like?"

"Just… whatever you're having. I'm not in a decision-making mode at the moment."

JJ tore her eyes away from her phone and viewed her colleague carefully. The older woman seemed exhausted, with dark circles around her eyes, face almost ashen. Perhaps it was only the lack of makeup, but Blake didn't use a lot of makeup normally and JJ had never seen her look so… off. Not just down or tired, but utterly worn-out.

"You okay?"

Blake straightened and offered a forced smile.

"Yep, I'm fine."

In reality, she had begun to wonder about that. It wasn't just that she felt slightly depressed and slightly troubled by sharing a room - the honeymoon suite, at that! - with the woman she possibly was developing some kind of infatuation with. She felt a tad feverish. A little under the weather. Okay, quite frankly, more than just a little.

She smiled even wider and repeated the lie.

"Just fine."

JJ called room service and gave their order, while Blake huddled up on her side of the bed and pulled out a novel from her bag. She had decided to try and keep the distance to JJ, but still relax this precious evening off before they had to start on the next case tomorrow morning.

* * *

><p>When room service arrived, it was JJ that answered the door. As she had her back to Blake, the older woman hid her face into her sleeve and sneezed, trying to make it as quiet as possible so not to raise any questions. If she was indeed getting sick, she would prefer to keep it a secret.<p>

"Wow, the look on that guy's face," JJ giggled as she returned with the food. "I had to explain to him that we're with the FBI and not each other."

"Uh-huh," Blake replied and sneezed again, not being able to keep it silent this time.

"Bless you. I swear, his eyes nearly popped out when he looked past me and saw you on the bed!" JJ continued and laughed out loud.

Blake exhaled in relief, not knowing that JJ had noticed and registered all indication that her colleague wasn't feeling well. For the time being she decided to keep her peace, though, knowing how private Blake was.

"How provoking that must be," Blake remarked.

"Of course it must be, two beauties dissing him for each other," JJ said in a joking tone. Blake nearly choked on her food. Beauties? Did JJ think she was beautiful? Of course not. It was a joke. Even Blake caught that. She hoped.

She must have had a strange look on her face because JJ gave her a weird stare, but she said nothing about it.

They ate in silence.

Blake usually had a healthy appetite - which was an elegant linguistic twist on saying she was a glutton - but tonight she pushed the food away without finishing it. She knew JJ would notice, but there was no way she would be able to eat more. Just the thought of chewing was exhausting. She pretended she was too engrossed in the book to bother with food.

"Right, I'm taking a shower," JJ said, licking some chicken grease off her fingers.

"Okay," Blake replied and struggled not to cough or sneeze before the door had closed behind JJ, but then she did both. "Ugh, this does not bode well." She _could _chalk it up to allergies - and was tempted to - but she was well aware that they never made her feel this run down.

_I'll feel better once I get a good night's sleep_, she told herself._ Much better. It's just allergies on top of being tired. _

Yes, she could tell herself that as much as she wanted to, but she knew it for what it was. A lie. Just like the one she liked to tell herself about not being interested in JJ.

She had, by fate or coincidence, gotten into a perfect situation - and it was to be ruined by evil viruses and her own lack of social skills. It was _not fair_!


	2. Chapter 2

JJ turned on the shower, wincing as she heard Blake struggling with a raspy, painful-sounding cough, punctuated with several heavy, equally painful-sounding sneezes. JJ _knew _Blake would try to blame it on allergies, and she didn't buy that explanation for a second. She had seen her colleague struck by allergies before and it was nowhere near as bad as this. But she would pretend not to notice.

JJ glared at herself in the mirror.

"Really?" she said. "Aren't you a bit too eager to respect her privacy? She's obviously feeling awful and what do you do? You just let her be miserable without offering any comfort at all?"

The truth was, she was afraid. Afraid of crossing the line. Alex Blake might have been a closed-up person, but Jennifer Jareau could be just as distant if necessary, and she was terrified of letting her attraction show. She couldn't possibly imagine the other woman feeling the same way about her, and her little (_stupid_, she scolded herself) jokes about making it official was her way of letting out steam before she exploded with the unresolved emotions inside of her.

Listening to the misery outside, JJ decided to put her emotions aside for the moment and merely care for Alex the person, the woman who was so clearly sick and who tried so hard not to let it show.

* * *

><p>As she came back into the room, she was taken aback by how much worse Blake looked after a mere fifteen minutes or so. She looked like, for lack of a better expression, death warmed over.<p>

"Alex, how _are_ you? You're coming down with something, aren't you?"

"I'm fine. It's just Wisconsin, that's all."

JJ raised her eyebrows.

"Wisconsin?"

"I think I'm allergic to this state. Every time I'm in Wisconsin, no matter what time of the year it is, I feel like I'm on the verge of a massive head cold."

"Well… you're not 'on the verge' of anything anymore," JJ objected. "It seems to me you're right in the middle of it. And I'd say it's the flu rather than a head cold."

"I'm _fine_!" Blake insisted, but she wouldn't look JJ in the eye.

"So you keep telling me," JJ said. "And yet your voice sounds more and more ragged with each time you do so."

Blake chose not to answer at all. She stubbornly stared at the pages of her book, her entire body language rigid and standoffish. She knew she was being childish, and that frustrated her even further, but she would not admit to being less than 100%. She simply refused.

JJ sighed.

"Fine, suit yourself." She sat down on her side of the bed, trying another approach. "What are you reading?"

Blake held the book up for JJ to read the title, not wanting to use her voice more than she absolutely had to. By now, her throat felt like it was stuffed with razors.

"Picture of Dorian Gray?"

Blake nodded and suppressed a cough.

"I've always liked Oscar Wilde."

JJ felt her heart sink. Blake was so much more sophisticated than she was; JJ would rather read Fifty Shades of Grey, she never got the hang of the classic authors. They bored her. And that was only one of the reasons she was certain Blake would find her childish. Fifteen years or so separated them, and so did their interests, background… _everything _but the field in which they had chosen to work, in fact.

"I've actually never read anything by him," JJ admitted. Blake gave her a brief smile.

"I recommend him. He's… insightful." She may have wanted to elaborate, but the coughing fit that struck her forced her to bend over and gasp for air. JJ put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to offer some comfort, but she shook it off. When she finally got herself back together she was flushed, with tears leaking out of her eyes, and in desperate need of a tissue. Sophisticated reader or not, she was a mess. JJ dug through her purse and found a travel pack of Kleenex, handing it to her colleague, who accepted it gratefully but with visible embarrassment.

"Alex…" JJ said.

"I just need some water," Blake croaked and got up from the bed. JJ sank back against the pillows and sighed. Making Blake admit she wasn't well was like nailing jelly to the wall. No, actually, nailing jelly to the wall would probably be easier.

"Alex, do you want me to go and pick up some cough drops?" JJ tried again.

"I'm fine."

"You're starting to sound like a broken record," JJ murmured, but only to herself. Out loud she said; "You didn't answer my question."

"No, thank you, but that won't be necessary," Blake said, her tone annoyed, almost challenging JJ to push it any further. Her voice threatened to fail her and she cleared her throat loudly. She mentally smacked herself for not being able to hide her symptoms better. What would JJ think? That she was weak and disgusting, that's what.

"I just need a good night's sleep," she said, clinging to this thought like a drowning woman would cling to anything within grasp. A good night's sleep and she would feel much better.

JJ surrendered.

"Sleep sounds like a good idea," she agreed, this time only sighing inwardly. But if Blake wasn't one hell of a lot better tomorrow morning, JJ would not back off. Ironically, if she didn't care so much about the other woman, she wouldn't bother bugging her.

_Damnit Alex, I just want to take care of you_, JJ thought. _Is it so hard to let me do that?_

Apparently, yes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

What the hell? This is not going in ANY direction I had expected it to. I just… well, that's the interesting part of writing; you're the first reader of everything you write. More often than not what happens surprises you. Haha, yeah, that's what popped out when I unleashed the muse. Hope you'll like it though, as slow as it is... :)


	3. Chapter 3

JJ lay awake for a long time, wondering how to handle the situation. Blake had fallen asleep so fast it seemed more like passing out, and if she hadn't been snoring loudly, with occasional bouts of coughing that shook her body, JJ might have taken her for dead, she was that motionless.

Exhausted and allergic, or in the early stage of the flu? That was the question. JJ was certain it was the latter, but if Blake refused to admit it, what could she do?

_Call Hotch in the morning and tell him. _

Yes, of course. He would send Blake back to the hotel the moment he saw her misery anyway, but JJ didn't want the poor woman to get out of bed at all if she could help it. Finally reaching a conclusion, JJ drifted off into slumber.

* * *

><p>She awoke a split second before the alarm sounded and turned it off before it could cut through the silence. She rolled over and reached out a hand to gently touch Blake's shoulder, but upon contact she nearly hissed in surprise and sympathy; the other woman was practically burning with fever. She had to steel herself to repeat the touch, not only because of the heat, but also because she didn't want to frighten Blake who was as off guard as anyone could be.<p>

"Alex," she murmured. There was no response. "Alex!" she tried again, a little bit louder. Blake groaned, coughed, and rolled over on her side, away from JJ. JJ was torn between letting her sleep, and waking her to see just how sick she was and how much care she needed. Would JJ have to call a doctor? Or just let her be?

JJ got out of bed, flipped her phone open and called Hotch. He answered on first signal, sounding completely awake. In spite of her worry, JJ chuckled a little.

"Don't you ever sleep?"

"Not if I can help it. What's up?"

JJ's eyes wandered across the room and rested on the sleeping woman in the bed. She looked so small, so defenceless, it made JJ's heart ache.

"JJ? Are you still there?" Hotch asked, and JJ mentally shook herself.

"Yes. Listen, Blake is sick. She won't admit it, but she's coughing up her lungs and she's running a fever. I think it's the flu."

"Didn't she get the flu shot?"

JJ tried to remember. The whole BAU team had gotten their flu shots in orderly fashion… but Blake hadn't been in that day.

"No, I don't think she did."

"Did _you_?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good. I can come in, but I don't wanna wake her, she's not fit to come in to work anyway, and she'd pass it on to everyone who's not had their shot, so…"

"Don't worry. Stay there and keep an eye on her. If she gets worse, call the hospital. We'll handle the case."

JJ was so grateful she was close to tears. Hotch was by far the most understanding and fair boss she had ever had.

"Thank you," she said, and wondered if he could detect all the layers in those two words. Perhaps he knew how she felt about Blake, even before she knew it herself. She wouldn't put it past him; he was the sharpest profiler she had ever met.

"I'll call you later," he said and finished the call. JJ looked back at Blake, whose usually shiny, well-groomed hair stuck to her face in sweaty, limp tresses. How she would hate to be seen in such a helpless condition; less than perfectly in control. And yet to JJ, she had never looked more endearing, more, okay, fine, _loveable_, than she did right now.

She was unaware of the soft, affectionate smile that had crept upon her face as she watched the older woman, but she was aware of the warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach, spreading upward and enveloping her heart.

_My Alex_, she thought. _My little Alex._

* * *

><p>Blake woke up to a delirious fever-distorted reality, where the only thing that seemed completely real was the raw pain in her throat and the fact that her head was pounding.<p>

"Alex?" a voice spoke from somewhere near her, and JJ's face came into sight. "How are you honey?"

The term of endearment had slipped out of her with no warning, but Blake didn't register. She was only half awake, convinced that this was some sort of fever hallucination.

"Angel," she said. JJ frowned.

"Who?"

"You. You're like an angel," Blake tried to explain, but her voice was so hoarse she could barely make herself heard at all. JJ seemed to understand at least, and she smiled. She knew it was the fever speaking, but she found it sweet nevertheless.

"Aw, Alex," she cooed and stroke her hair. Blake felt so pathetic, so ashamed of herself, that she began to cry. If her fever hadn't been so high she never would have shown such loss of pride, but as things were, she didn't really have much pride left. And perhaps it didn't matter. Perhaps even the ever-in-control Alex Blake was allowed to be small and frail this one time.

JJ crawled up next to her and put an arm around her. "Poor little Alex," she whispered. "I'll take care of you. I promise."

A sudden thought dawned on Blake and for a moment she was her old distant self,

"You should go before you get sick too."

She tried to pull loose but lacked the strength, and JJ easily pulled her back into her arms, where Blake surrendered. It felt much better to be weak if there was someone there to hold you.

"I've had the flu shot. Which you obviously did not," JJ said.

"I don't like needles," Blake said, with just a touch of defiance in her faltering voice.

"I figured," JJ said. "But, well. Even if I should catch it too, it doesn't matter. I'm not abandoning you when you're sick. Sorry, but you're stuck with me."

"I could think of worse things," Blake said, trying to smile.

JJ almost kissed her, but managed to keep herself in reins. It would be taking advantage, and she never wanted to do that. Instead she wiped a hot tear off the older woman's face with the back of her hand, and smiled.

"I'm just going to pick up some things, and I'll be back to check on you again within an hour or so. If you need anything or if you get worse, call me, okay?"

Blake nodded, but her eyes wandered.

"_Promise _me."

"Okay, I promise."

"Good. Just lie down and rest, okay?"

Blake nodded again and closed her eyes. She needed to sneeze but her head ached so badly she feared it would split if she did. She hadn't felt so pitiful since… she had _never _felt so pitiful. The insight made her want to cry again, and fighting the tears made her cough so hard she nearly retched. If there was a Hell on Earth, it was being trapped in a sick body.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

Poor little Alex, indeed. The flu sucks. I feel pretty bad for her, actually, and I'm the one making this up…! I would put some more romance in it right away if I didn't know how very little in the mood you are for romance when you're that sick. But… it will pass, eventually. ^^

Review if you like. I like reviews. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

When JJ returned from her trip down to the drugstore, Blake was sitting up in bed, leaning back against the pillows, and stared at the pages of her book with glazed eyes. JJ doubted very much if she was actually reading, but she looked a little bit more... _present,_ than she had earlier.

"Hey, how are you feeling? And please be honest."

"I feel like shit," Blake croaked and coughed heavily. "And you?"

"I'm doing okay. I'm worried about you, of course."

Blake blinked. She hadn't had anyone worrying about her in years. And frankly, James had never been particularly attentive to her moods or feelings even when they were married. Then again, she hadn't been attentive to him either; they had stuck together because they both wanted the security of marriage, but none of them were particularly interested in romance, or even in spending time together. Also, she had a habit of withdrawing into herself even more than usual when she felt unwell, pushing away those who might want to care about her. If James happened to be at home when she was sick, he'd keep the distance to avoid getting infected. As she did whenever he came down with something. It was just how things had worked.

JJ however was not to be pushed away that easily.

"No need to be," Blake said. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of…" she sneezed, whimpered in pain - if this wasn't shaping up to include a sinus infection as well, she would consider herself lucky - and began to cough again, her entire body shaking with the attack. JJ watched in silence, wondering if she would simply call the hospital right away. Eventually, Blake regained control over herself and looked away, as if ashamed. "…myself," she finished the interrupted sentence.

"I know you can," JJ said. "But you shouldn't have to right now. I'm here. Just let go, Alex. I'll take care of you."

"You don't have to."

"What if I _want _to?" JJ said, feeling her cheeks heat up with a blush, but at least her voice was steady. Blake's face too was flushed, but that was more due to fever.

"Why?"

"Let's discuss that later, okay? Right now I'd like to make you a little less miserable."

_Your very presence already does that_, Blake thought, and managed a weak smile.

"How?"

"Well, first of all, we need to establish a rule. What happens in the honeymoon suite, stays in the honeymoon suite."

Blake's weak smile widened, not only because of the words but because of how JJ's face grew redder as she heard what she said.

"Meaning?" Now she was actually teasing a little, in spite of how terrible she felt.

"Meaning that you don't have to be embarrassed about anything. Okay? You ran into the bathroom, even though you can hardly walk, and locked the door behind you, only to blow your nose. Really."

"It's disgusting."

"I don't care, Alex."

JJ emptied the bag she had brought, onto the bed; there was Aspirin, cough syrup, tissues, nose spray… the whole arsenal against flus and colds. Blake shook her head.

"I'm not dying."

"If I thought you were, you would be in the hospital by now," JJ replied. "Judging by how you sound, I'd say you're in for a couple of nasty days, but at least this will ease the symptoms a little."

Blake sighed.

"Thank you."

"I got you some orange juice, and apple juice if you prefer that… and I'll go and pick up some chicken soup later, if you feel like eating…"

Blake chuckled.

"What?" JJ said.

"Nothing. You're sweet."

Ah. This time JJ _really _blushed. Blake noted this with something that reminded of glee. Two seconds later, she snatched a handful of Kleenex from the box JJ had brought, and sneezed into them several times. Each sneeze was about as painful as being shot by a hard calibre gun. She winced.

"Oh that _hurt_!"

JJ bit her lip. She wanted to practically shower Alex with sympathy, but she knew she had to take things slow or the other woman would withdraw faster than you could say "Good Girl Complex". She sat down next to her on the bed and touched her shoulder, gently, ready to pull back her hand immediately if the touch was met with rigidity. It wasn't. JJ felt encouraged and dared to snake her arm around the other woman's shoulders, and was pleased beyond words when Blake leaned into the touch.

"JJ…"

"Mm?"

"Tell me why you want to do this for me."

This time it was JJ's turn to tense up. She wasn't sure what the reaction would be if she told the truth; given how standoffish Blake was, she would probably be quite upset. _Inwardly _upset of course, JJ had never seen Blake lose her temper, but it would probably make her upset. Possibly revolted. No, maybe not. But definitely unsettled; Blake did not do feelings.

"JJ?"

"Because I care about you. This team is my family."

Blake felt a little disappointed, but what had she believed? That JJ had developed feelings for her, and that at the same time she had developed feelings for JJ? That would be one hell of a coincidence, now wouldn't it? Not to mention something completely inappropriate that would possibly end up with either or both losing their job.

But she still did not like lies. Not living with them or being met with them.

"Family," she echoed. And then, deciding to take a leap of faith - JJ _had _said everything that happened in the honeymoon suite would stay here, after all - and blame it on her fever if it went down wrong, she added; "And here I was under the impression that you felt the same way about me as I do about you."

There was dead silence in the room for several seconds after this comment.

"And…" JJ cleared her throat, although that obviously did nothing to stop her heartbeat from being audible in her voice. "…what would that be?"

"I think you know. Oh, your heart is beating really, really fast. Am I making you uncomfortable?" Blake asked, genuinely worried. Her voice was a raspy half-whisper and each word she spoke was agony to her aching throat, but she didn't care.

"No. If anything, I might be a little _too _comfortable now," JJ replied, with a nervous little laughter.

"So… this is the part where I'd kiss you, if I weren't the embodiment of disgusting at the moment," Blake said, but before she could continue, JJ had cupped her face with both hands and brushed her lips against Blake's. It was a gentle kiss, more like a feather-light caress than an actual kiss, but it made both women feel dizzy; completely powerless against the emotions that overwhelmed them both like an enormous wave.

"You are not disgusting," JJ whispered. "You are sick and miserable, but that's a different thing."

Blake tried to respond, but was struck with another bout of coughing and turned away from JJ. The younger woman rubbed her back gently and said;

"And right now, you should take an Aspirin, drink some fluid, and try to get some sleep. I will be right here when you wake up."

"You're too good to me," Blake mumbled.

"I could never be too good to you," JJ assured her, and when Blake smiled at her, she felt like her heart would explode in her chest. This was not supposed to happen…!

But then again, did love ever come at the right time or place?

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

Lookie here, an update! Gaaah, you know what, I'm going to be very unrealistic ahead and have Blake recover much quicker than a normal person would, because _really_…! Anyway. Reviews pleases the muse, and I'm under her command, so, if you like it, let me know. :)


	5. Chapter 5

For the next three days, Blake was more or less bedridden with JJ as the attentive, caring nurse. On day four Blake felt well enough to be a little annoyed about this overwhelming attention, no matter how much she enjoyed JJ's affection. They had not spoken of the kiss or the dialogue that lead up to it - they would, in all probability, but not yet. They both needed time to process the revelation and what it would mean. Interesting enough, instead of making interactions awkward, this knowledge rather seemed to make it easier.

JJ had reluctantly gone with the rest of the team for a few hours to watch an interrogation, and when she got back to the hotel, Blake had just taken a shower and put on clothes. As JJ stared in disbelief, she proceeded to put on her shoes and her jacket, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door.

"Wait, where do you think you're going?"

"Out. I'll go insane if I have to stay in here any longer."

"You're still not well."

"Trust me, if I don't get out I'll contract a violent case of cabin fever as well."

JJ sighed and moved out of her way.

"I know. Sorry. I guess that was a bit overprotective."

"It's fine. I just need some air."

They looked at each other, both unsure of what to do or say next. Finally Blake said;

"Will you come with me, just take a walk?"

JJ's whole face lit up with a smile.

"Sure."

* * *

><p>They strolled down the street towards the nearby park. Blake felt unnervingly out of breath even from this light exercise, but she wasn't going to admit to JJ that she might have been a bit too confident.<p>

"So…" JJ said. "Where do we go from here?"

"Onward, I should hope," Blake replied.

"And where is that?"

Blake stopped. JJ thought she was just tired, but when the other woman turned her head to look her straight in the eye, she saw that Blake was trembling with emotions, barely held back by its restraints.

"Will this clarify my stand on matters?" she asked before stepping closer and kissing JJ, gently but firmly.

"Hmm… let's see… I may need some more clarification," JJ teased. Blake chuckled and kissed her again, until JJ was like hot wax in her arms and they were both trembling with desire. Then JJ pulled away, suddenly very much aware of the public spot they happened to be in.

"Alex… someone could see us," she said. She was feeling more than a little breathless herself. Her knees were weak. She hadn't felt this way in a long time, but she was also afraid of what it would mean in the long run.

"Lucky them, then," Blake responded, but took a step back. She eyed JJ carefully. "Talk to me, JJ. I'm not very good at reading minds."

"I'm just afraid how this will affect us. Our jobs. Our team. And I'm confused that you seem to take it so lightly; you are usually the one who always want to keep your back covered."

"Hmm," Blake said, processing JJ's words. "Yes… I used to have so much to prove. I'm beyond that now. I don't want to be forced to leave the BAU, but… at least I did prove to myself - and to _Erin _- that I could get here on my own merits. I know it may be more difficult for you though, and I'm sorry that I'm too pushy. I didn't think."

JJ nodded. Her cheeks felt heated and her lips swollen from the kissing. In fact, her lips seemed to beg for more. She tried to grasp something to talk about; anything would do, or her body would take charge and throw itself all over Alex Blake not caring for a moment who might be watching and the possible consequences.

"When did you realise you felt this way?" she asked.

"During the hunt for The Replicator. When I thought I was going to die, my only concern was that I was never going to see you again. I was… surprised, to say the least. I wasn't aware myself that I harboured such feelings. What about you?"

JJ shrugged.

"I can't pinpoint an exact moment. I just… began to get these butterflies whenever you walked into the room. Whenever I could smell your perfume. You're telling me you never noticed?"

Blake slowly shook her head, shrugging a little.

"No. So pride yourself on your poker face." She huffed. "Either that or I'm a terrible profiler."

JJ laughed softly and touched her shoulder.

"Alex."

"Yes?"

"Nothing. I just like saying your name."

"And I like the way you say it."

JJ cocked her head to the side, which made her look impossibly sweet and further caused Blake to have trouble breathing.

"What's your middle name?"

"Ha!"

"Uh-oh, that bad, huh?"

"_Yes_!"

"Well, mine is Margaret. My grandmothers on both sides were named Margaret, so it was an easy pick, I guess." JJ shared this piece of information because she knew that Blake would inevitably feel compelled to return the favour. Also, she was curious now.

"Margaret is a beautiful name. It's made from the Greek noun margaron which means pearl." Blake smiled. "It suits you. And Jennifer is possibly formed from the mythological Queen Guinevere, who was married to King Arthur. It means 'white one' or 'fair one'."

"Why do you know these things?" JJ was in awe.

"The curse of a linguist, I suppose."

"So, will you tell me yours now?"

Blake sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine! My mother was quite fond of the movie Casablanca. So… my middle name is Ingrid."

"That's… not so bad. Is it?"

"Come on, do I look like an Ingrid to you?"

JJ didn't know what to respond, but luckily she didn't have to; Blake had gotten herself into a coughing fit, and she turned away from JJ, who with that had a moment to gather her thoughts. Once Blake stopped, JJ grabbed her arm and spoke in a soft voice;

"Let's go back to the hotel."

Blake nodded. She was exhausted but not wanting to admit it. Back when she was still a smoker, every single cold she caught would go straight to her chest. This felt much like those days, even though she hadn't lit a cigarette in fourteen years.

As they walked, JJ picked up the topic again.

"So what does it mean, Ingrid?"

"It's an old Norse name which means Ing is beautiful. Ing being an ancient Norse God. The name is particularly common in Scandinavian countries and was most popular in the 40's."

"Alex Ingrid… that is an interesting combination," JJ remarked and caressed her arm a little, desperate to keep touching her.

"Alex is my father's doing. I suppose that's why mom fought for Ingrid; she wanted her only daughter to have at least one feminine name. But I feel a lot more comfortable with Alex. Can we put this topic to rest and never bring it up again?"

JJ giggled.

"If that's the way you feel about it… but I still don't see what's wrong with Ingrid."

Blake only muttered something in response. JJ smiled to herself.

"Tell me something else about you."

"Oh no my dear, I believe it's your turn to tell me some of your own embarrassing secrets," Blake protested.

JJ gave an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes.

"I don't have any embarrassing secrets. I'm an open book."

"Hm," Blake responded. "So it was merely a fever-hallucination yesterday morning when I woke up and saw you sitting on the floor watching cartoons?"

JJ blushed fiercely.

"I did not watch cartoons, I was just flipping through the channels."

"You weren't flipping through anything, you were practically glued to Nickelodeon."

Blake's smile was so wide her cheeks hurt, but there was no malicious intent in it. She was genuinely amused, mainly because Spongebob beat Ingrid on the embarrassment scale anytime. She stroke JJ's heated cheek with the back of her hand, smiling even wider.

"Nothing wrong with Nickelodeon of course, though I personally prefer Disney Channel."

The surprised look in JJ's eyes made her laugh so hard she began to cough again. It was worth it though. Her greatest fear was that JJ would think of her as overly mature, disdainful of anything that wasn't classy. And to be completely honest, Blake could be very, very immature at times, she just preferred to keep it a secret.

Well, well… it would prove to be quite interesting to share this part of herself with someone else who would not judge.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

Sorry for getting them so OOC! LOL I ended up goofing with everything I've written the past few days and my muse doesn't want to be serious at the moment. She'll come around, I hope… Also I kind of, sort of, have an almost-flirt with this woman who seems terribly serious and mature, but who turns out to be a goofball when you're alone with her, so I suppose I worked that into this… *blush*

Absolutely nothing wrong with the name Ingrid; my neighbour is named that and she's awesome. Nothing wrong with watching Spongebob either (well, I personally cannot stand it, but to each their own) and it doesn't matter how old I get or how many titles or important jobs I'd have, I'd still enjoy cartoons.


	6. Chapter 6

As they walked back to the hotel side by side, JJ kept glancing sideways at Blake for quite some time before finally daring to speak her mind.

"Alex, how are you? You're running a fever again, aren't you?" JJ sounded concerned.

"I'm fine."

"You're all flushed."

"Well, you _are _very close to me and I have to use all my willpower not to take advantage of it. You'd be flushed too." Blake turned to look at JJ. "Oh, but look at that, you _are_."

JJ gave her a friendly push and laughed, though a little embarrassed.

"And whose fault is that?"

Blake tried not to look to smug, but it was nearly impossible. While she was a confident woman in general, she was unnervingly insecure about her sex appeal - when she was younger she had tried to rid herself of this insecurity through visiting sex clubs, taking on the role as a dominatrix. It had only given a false sense of security, none that helped in emotional situations. JJ's very presence did a lot more to help with that sort of insecurity.

"Oh stop that," JJ said.

"Stop what?"

"Grinning. Only Harrison Ford gets away with that kind of smug grin, and even that's a stretch."

Blake bit the insides of her cheeks, but she failed to keep the grin at bay. In fact, it grew even wider as JJ snuck her hand into Blake's and their fingers laced together. Blake had a thousand things she wanted to say, but the linguist in her was too overwhelmed to be cooperating and so she chose to be silent. She knew she'd only be blabbering like an infatuated school girl if she opened her mouth right now, and that was not the way she wanted to begin a new relationship.

Although, come to think of it, she had already admitted that she had at least something of a liking for cartoons, which may not have been the most mature beginning of a relationship anyway.

Then again, so had JJ. Blake squeezed her hand. JJ squeezed back. And there was no telling whose grin was wider.

* * *

><p>They had reluctantly let go of each others' hands before entering the hotel lobby, but it felt nearly painful to do so, like an emotional equivalent of ripping a Band-Aid off. As they got into the elevator and the doors closed behind them, JJ grabbed the lapel of Blake's jacket as if to pull her closer.<p>

"Stop," Blake said out of the corner of her mouth. It would have seemed almost comical - like something out of a noir gangster movie - if JJ hadn't been so caught off guard.

"Why?" She looked puzzled even as she let go and retreated. Blake tilted her head a little and rolled her eyes as if to say _sorry about that._

"Security cameras."

"Right. I forgot about those. They're only around when you least want them to."

Blake coughed into her sleeve. While she felt a lot better, she wasn't back to full health just yet, and her chest felt tight. Though it may have been partially JJ's fault; just looking at the young blonde made her feel breathless and light-headed.

"Indeed."

They fell silent until they reached their floor. Blake fumbled through her purse to find the key card, and JJ stared straight ahead as if gathering strength to say something. She kept silent until they had gotten into their suite and closed the door behind them, but then she turned to the older woman and stared straight into her eyes.

"Alex… I can't contain myself any longer. If anyone finds out about this, we'll just have to deal with it as well as we can, but if I can't be all over you right now I'll probably go insane."

Blake swallowed. It was her dream come true and her greatest fear baked into one. She would have wanted things to be perfect; or at least that she wasn't still on the verge of a fever and feeling all in all like she had had her head stuffed with cotton and Turtle Wax, but she was not going to back out of what might prove to be her only chance to be close to Jennifer Jareau.

"You sure? I'm still kind of… _icky_…"

JJ laughed.

"I'm sure. Trust me, I'm sure."

She ran her hands down Blake's sides and the other woman threw her head back and moaned at the touch. "I have never been touched like this by anyone."

"Good," JJ purred. "Though have to admit that I've never… really done this before."

Blake smiled and put her own hands over JJ's.

"Don't worry, honey. I'll show you. I don't want to brag…"

"Oh yes you do," JJ murmured against her mouth.

"… but I'm a great teacher."

"Talk, talk. Prove it."

"Happy to."

They fell back onto the bed into each other's embrace, and neither thought about anything not immediately related to the physical sensations they just experienced. Skin, fingertips, lips and tongue, everything on fire, everything electric.

And the linguist and author found herself lacking any other language than the body language… but it did not matter, because they were both fluent in it.

* * *

><p>The next morning, JJ lay curled up on Blake's lap, both swept in the bed covers, watching as SpongeBob nagged on Gary.<p>

"Is that snail supposed to be like… a dog, or something?" Blake asked as she played with JJ's hair. Lifting her arm hurt, but she did it nevertheless. Because truth be told, _everything_ hurt, but for a much better reason than a few days ago.

"Uh-huh," JJ replied.

"Does it make me sound old if I say I prefer classic Disney? Like Chip 'n' Dale?"

"Maybe a little."

Blake was about to reply when there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Blake? JJ"

They exchanged identical and terrified glances at the sound of Hotch's voice, and began untangling their limbs from one another.

"Just a moment," JJ called out as Blake grabbed the blankets and tried to smooth them out onto the bed to undo the image of... well, activity... then hurried to put on a pair of yoga pants. JJ may have slept in actual pajamas, but Blake favoured a T-shirt or tank top and panties, and she did _not _want her boss to see her in underwear.

JJ combed her hair with her fingers before opening the door.

"Hey, Hotch."

"Good morning, I was just going to check on Blake."

He looked at the messy bed, an empty Ben & Jerry container with two spoons - did they eat ice cream for _breakfast_? - and the TV screen playing cartoons. He had to bite his lip to keep his serious expression. He wasn't completely sure of the exact nature of their bonding; whether it was sisterly or… something else entirely. But for the time being, he would overlook it. He gave Blake a questioning glance and she nodded.

"I'm doing much better, thank you."

"Good to hear. The local police is bringing the unsub in and he seems to be talking. If nothing unexpected turns up, we'll go back home around 2 pm or so."

He carefully monitored their reactions. They both seemed somewhat disappointed. Again, could be sisterly, or it could be something very different. He decided to leave them alone for the time being. But before he left, he nodded towards the TV.

"SpongeBob?" he said. "Really? I prefer Fairly Odd Parents myself."

JJ laughed out loud and Blake rolled her eyes fiercely and groaned. Hotch himself offered a split-second glimpse of his rare smile, before heading back out into the corridor.

JJ and Blake? He supposed he _could _have seen Blake getting involved with Rossi, or possibly even Reid if age wasn't an issue, but JJ? They seemed far too different. But then again, opposites attract.

He only hoped Strauss would never find out, or the two women would find their jobs in jeopardy no matter what the rest of the team had to say on the matter.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

I miss Blake. *sob* I really miss Blake.

And yeah, I sort of wanted to go QUITE adult there for a while, but I couldn't be assed to change the rating. No, okay, that's not the actual reason; I got shy. Don't kill me. I love cuddles, but I get all nervous about writing hardcore stuff, no matter how much I may want to do it.


	7. Chapter 7

"So, I heard you got more or less knocked off your feet," Derek Morgan said to Blake as the team bordered the jet. Blake's eyes widened in surprise, thinking he was referring to her overpowering lovemaking with JJ.

_How the hell would he know anything about _that_?!_

"Uh, well…"

"Yeah, that was a nasty flu," JJ stepped in to save her. "I've never seen her so miserable."

"I wasn't _that _sick," Blake protested. JJ exchanged looks with Morgan.

"She was," JJ said and went to sit down. She walked like she was… ahem, somewhat sore. Blake felt proud and embarrassed at the same time, hoping for dear life that nobody would notice the change in relationship between them. Though hoping it would pass unnoticed was a vain wish; these were the best profilers in the country and there was an old saying that you could hide anything but love and a cough.

"How come you never take care of me when I get sick?" Morgan joked and sipped his coffee.

"Because you never get sick?" JJ shot back and they both laughed. Blake watched their exchange with complete focus and a little touch of jealousy. Jealousy, huh? She usually wasn't at all possessive about her partners, but apparently that was different in this case as well.

She was so focused on JJ that she didn't noticed that she too was watched. By Dave Rossi, who looked from Blake to JJ and back again, thinking _hmmm_…_ this should prove to be quite interesting._

"You're not going to ditch the flu shot next year, are you?" Morgan continued, looking to Blake. She sighed.

"Nope, I'll be first in line." She shook her head a little and looked through the case file. "Sorry I missed this case. How did you find out about the significance of the hair?"

Reid began to explain, and Blake listened, though only with about half her concentration. The rest was aimed at JJ, who kept stealing glances of her new lover, quick but frequent. Blake physically felt those glances although she did not look up; they felt like quick, feather-light kisses, and each time, the corners of her mouth curved slightly upwards in a secret smile.

And even though she did not know this, it was obvious to Rossi and Hotch that whatever passed between the two women was something far deeper than friendship.

* * *

><p>"JJ and <em>Blake<em>?" Rossi mouthed to Hotch as they both went to fill up on coffee. Hotch nodded.

"So it would seem."

"Strauss must never know, Aaron," Rossi continued in a low voice.

"She won't hear it from me," Hotch replied and sighed. "But they will reveal themselves sooner or later. It's inevitable. Look at them."

Rossi did as he was asked, and just then JJ said something and her voice caught Blake's immediate, full attention. Her eyes were shiny, wide and it was clear as day that she saw nothing but JJ. Rossi sighed too, and sipped his coffee.

"I see what you mean. Do we interfere?"

Hotch pondered this.

"Let's give them a chance to handle it first."

"Good call."

"I hope it is."

The last thing he wanted was to embarrass them, but on the other hand, if they were oblivious to the glow that enveloped them and unable to be careful about who saw it, the fall could be fatal, career-wise. The Bureau wasn't exactly overjoyed with its agents falling in love at the job. It had gotten better the past few years, but it was still risky business.

* * *

><p>A text came in to JJ's cell phone and she looked down and read it.<p>

"_For where thou art, there is the world itself, and where thou art not, desolation."_

_- William Shakespeare_

JJ smiled; her heart felt too large to be held in her chest. She had to fight the urge to simply rise from her seat, walk over to her beautiful dark-eyed lover, and kiss her fiercely right in front of the whole team. Instead she sent a text back and put the cell back onto the table.

Blake's cell phone buzzed and she took it up and read the text from JJ.

"_I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!"_

_- SpongeBob SquarePants_

Blake began to laugh and tried to masquerade it into a cough, succeeding a little too well. She coughed so hard she felt like she was more than a little likely to hack up her lungs while she was at it. She was starting to get a couple of concerned glances from her colleagues. She waved it off, little by little getting herself back under control again. Her cell buzzed with another text. At first she hesitated if she'd dare reading it at all, but curiosity got the best of her and she glanced at the screen. The text consisted of a single word.

"_Sorry"_

She shook her head and sought JJ's eyes. The smiles they gave each other made current affairs obvious even to Derek Morgan _and_ Spencer Reid.

And neither Blake nor JJ really cared. They were ready to do this, together. No matter what was going to stand in their way, they would make this work.

They were ready, but even if they hadn't been, there had been little they could have done. Because when love finally shows up, there is little else to do but to follow where it leads you.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

Okies… I have plans for a sequel to this story, exploring their relationship and how they'll deal with Strauss. Because it is true; love cannot be hidden for long, sorry to say. But right now, I'll just let them be happy for a little while. And bide my time, because I'm really not too pleased with how this story turned out; it didn't go anywhere I had planned. SIGH! Okay, what's done is done. XD


End file.
